Submitted by Obscure Studios.
Independent production company Obscure Studios announced today the release of its first-ever audio drama, “The Adventures of Captain Radio.” The first season, consisting of six 20-minute episodes, is available now. The scripted, full-cast science fiction drama pays homage to the radio shows of the 1930s, featuring classic tropes, rapid-fire dialogue, newsreel-style narration and in-universe commercials, while updating the formula for modern ears.
The show’s producers, Jonny Eberle and Will McDonald, who have worked primarily in film, say the COVID-19 pandemic inspired them to try a new form of storytelling.
“More than any other medium, podcasts have kept me sane during the pandemic,” Eberle says. “When I started writing Captain Radio, there was no doubt in my mind that audio was the best way to tell this story. Especially now, when there’s so much darkness in the world, we could all use a dose of hope for the future.”
Eberle wrote the show’s script and edits each episode in his home office in Tacoma. He also creates all of the sound effects from scratch, using struck wine glasses to create the sound of bells, dropped bags of rice to suggest the sound of people falling, and rattling a filing cabinet to simulate crashing spaceships.
“What I love so much about Captain Radio is that it is so immersive, from the writing to the sound design—you really feel like you’re listening to a classic radio drama from nearly a hundred years ago,” McDonald says.
The show presents a retrofuturistic world drawn from the imagination of the past. Set in the distant future, the podcast follows the exploits of the heroic Captain Radio as he travels across the stars to rescue the love of his life from the clutches of a mad scientist. Along the way, he teams up with his robotic sidekick and a former enemy to outwit space sirens, interstellar beasts and mysterious monks in the hopes of preventing a universe-ending catastrophe.
The show is distributed free through all major podcast directories, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music; directly via RSS feed; and anywhere audio fiction is found. Transcripts are available at obscurestudios.net. Supporters of the show are encouraged to leave a rating and review wherever they listen, and can also contribute to Obscure Studios’ Ko-fi page or purchase merchandise on their TeePublic store.
“The Adventures of Captain Radio” debuted on December 31, 2021 and the entire first season is now available, with a second season currently in the works.
About Obscure Studios
Founded in 2004, Obscure Studios is a small, independent production company creating original short films and podcasts. “The Adventures of Captain Radio” is their first audio drama. Learn more at obscurestudios.net.
